Door latch mechanism



June 6, 1944. B. A. QUINN 2,350,923

Y DOOR LATCH MECHANISM Filed Sept. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l JI ZOWZ P 3/ Beri'A. Qumiz june6,1944. WN I 2,350,923

DOOR LATCH MECHANISM Filed Sept. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 32 Flag. 528 42 H v i g fiz/ewnor Bari wAl. Quinn Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE noon LATCH MECHANISM Bert A. Quinn, St. Paul, Minn. Application September 10, 1941, Serial No. 410,272

Claims. 01. 292-1610 i My present invention provides an improved door latch mechanism of the type that can be utilized also as a lock and which is especially adapted for application to in-swinging doors.

1 By doors of the in-swinging type I intend to indicate those that swing into a room or enclosure, the interior of which is to be protected when the latch is converted, for example, into a lock. The customary bathroom door is a good illustration .ofan in-swinging door. Such a door when unlatched or free is opened from the outsideby pushing or pressing inward thereon, and is openedfrom the inside by pulling inward on he d 01 In my improved latch or lock mechanism I provide a latch mechanism with operating handles projecting both from the outer and inner sides of the door and, as a highly important feature, I provide latch mechanism which will be released from the outer side of the door by pushing or pressing inward on the outer handle and which will be released by pulling inward on the inside handle. With this arrangement pushing or inward pressure on the outside handle performs two functions, to wit: first, it releases the latch, and second, by the continued force in the same direction on the handle, pushes the door inward to open position; and an inward pull on the inside handle performs two functions, to wit: first, it releases the latch, and second, by a continued pull in the same direction, swings the door to open position.

' In this improved device the latch bolt is preferably of the spring-pressed beveled type which automatically engages a latch plate or the like onthe door frame when the door is moved to closed position; and in combination therewith and the features above indicated, I provide a lock device thatis operative from the inner side of the door and which, when pressed or actuated, locks the latch bolt in its operative position and thereby converts the so-called latch bolt into a positively acting lock bolt.

The invention also involves certain other important novel features, all of which will appear in the following description of the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout I the several views. l

' Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in'elevation showing portions of a door and door frame with the improved latch mechanism applied thereto, some parts being broken away and some parts being sectioned, and some parts being sectioned'on the line'H-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is'a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig."4- is a vertical section-taken on the line Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken onthe line 55 of Fig. 3; r

Fig.6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6 -16of Fig. 2;"

Fig.7 is a view in perspective showing the latch bolt'casingyan'd I Fig. 8 is a view in perspective showing the latch bolt retractor slide.

In thisillustration of the invention, the numeral lll-indicates the inwardly swinging door and the numeral I'l indicatesa door frame --or casing provided, as shown, with a metallic latch plate l-2 rigidly secured in a mortice thereof and having a' perforation I3 for engagement with the latch-bolthereinafter described. Thedoor jamb or frame adjacent to the latchplate IZand in line with the perforation I3 is shown as provided with a rec'e'ss 14 'in which the latch bolt freely projects when the door is. swung against the stop 15 of the door frame. The door, which is assumed to be an ordinary hinged door, is arranged to be opened by swinging movement in the directionof the arrow marked thereon in Figs. 2 and 3 and the said'door' when thus swung is assum'edto be swung into thebathroom or other room or compartment. The operation of the door will be most conveniently illustrated by assuming that the latch mechanism is applied to the inwardly swingingdoorof a bathroom, but it will be understood that itmay be applied to other doors. 2

, For :theapplication of the latch mechanism thedoor is bored through to form a quite large transverse openingilfi and from the free edge of the door is cut out to form an opening I! that receives the latch bolt c'asing'and leads into the transverse opening" I6.

Extended into and through'the recess I6 is alfiattened tubular metallic latch casing I8 which preferably is formed integral with an anchoring platel9 that is rigidly clamped to the outer face ofthe door by means'of screwsrfll applied as hereinafter described, Inthe'drawings the plate 19 acts as an anchor for the casing l8 and, as shown, is covered-by. athin metal casing 2|. having, as shownjanplurality of inturned ears 22 turned under the edges of anchor plate [9, as best shown in Fig. 4, and is thereby held to said anchor plate; 011' the inner face of the door covering the opening H5 is a flanged face plate or escutcheon 23, preferably of thin sheet metal. The anchoring screws 20, just above noted, work through the plate 23 with their heads preferably countersunk therein and with their threaded ends engaging with anchoring lugs 24 that project from 25, a flat hollow portion 26, and two hollow legs.

21 and 28. The said elements 21 and 8 are shown as formed from folded sheet metal plates,

sonable clearance through an opening 46 formed in the slide plate 39 and when said outside handle 4|..is oscillated, it will cause the plate or slide 39 to move therewithperforming important operations that will appear in t e description of the operation. For a purpose which will hereinafter appear, slide 39 is formed with a small perforation 41.

For converting the latch bolt into a lock bolt,

as above indicated, I provide a lock dog 48 that may take various forms but which, as shown and preferably, is of a special design. This lock dog 48 is pivoted at 49 to lugs on the casing 18, see particularly Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6. This lock dog 48 has four active projections, to wit: a

I beveled end 50, a laterally bent contact lug 5|,

the flanges of which are bent intoloose en a e: 1

ment. The inner end of the leg 21 is preferably closed at 29 to afford a base of reaction for the t bel actu ting. sh ine ar eeht y t e described. When the latch bolt casing; shown in ail. in 7 is applie n vhe fet v po i ion. it Will be rigidly S ured to the, @99 pre er y by sere 0 passed he hreuehend th ough a supplemental or reinforcing plate 3|,see particu a lyhiee.

The latch bolt already referred to may take a i i e ame. u ad t. ther ame rth casing shown in detail in Fig. 7, said-latch bolt 32h ifu ated. r forme th legs, on eiwhi works in the leg 21 and the other. intlgelegZB. exc ed s ri is -r. .aee.d m e le 21. a reacts against the bottom of; saidleg and against he: on r and math: l ae thelatch bol an nds o. r ss the beve ed; en Qi and a h. bo o tw rd en a emen w th he r e in the latch pla e A e hown, in igs. 3, land 5. thenumeral 34. in icates a latch e t r tract n link. formed w th a. leneitud na lo anda K511111131" end with n tc es fe med bet e lu s 3.6 and 3 .slotted end. f r rac in l nk 3 .5. attach d. o. the min lee:- of: latch bolt 32 by a pin orrivet 35 that wor th u h slet 5. and; thus permits imited slidin m mehteot th latch bolt in resp t to said. link, a i her naf er more ully appear...

.Fig. 8. shows in detail a latch boltretracting slide involving a, flat. plateportion 39. having. spaced prongs 4l1 projecting therefrom atrig t.

mechanism are preferably stamped from-sheet.

metal but maybe otherwise formed. The/outsidehandle is indicated by the numeral; and the inside handle by. the. numeral 425.

handle 4| extendsfreely through a :slot 44 of the outside face plate 2|. The inner ends of the said handles. 4 I; and Y42. are. extendedinto the.

casing l8. and are; overlapped and mountedJon a common pivot pin. 45'that is anchoredfin. the

casing -|8;.'

The outside handle 4.! is: extendedwitha rea- Thelinr side handle 42 extends freely through. a, slot v43' in the inside facing. plate 23. and the outside a laterally projecting lock lug 52, and a spring contact free edge 53. The numeral 54 indicates a short'coiled spring that is compressed between the edge 53 and a spring bearing or base of reaction 55. I

The end 50. of said latch dog is arran ed. to, be engaged by the beveled end of a plungerlifii that works througha bearing sleeve. 5.1011 the. insideface plate '23.. The beveled or inclined lug 5|. of lock dog 48. is in the pathofmovement. of the .inner. lock actuating handle .orlever. 4:2; and the locklug 52'of said .dog is normally out. of the path of movement of the outside: handle or lever 4|, but is adapted'to be projected into. the path of movement thereof when plunger 56 is pressed inward to; cause oscillation of said lock dog. Here, at this time, attention is further: called to the fact that when the lock dogis in the normal or inoperative position shown in Fig. 4, spring 5 4 will be at oneside of a dead center, when by operation of plunger 56 lock dog moved to oc ng 19051 10 1 te' i r pt o prev n mo me t offq tsid h nd a d s in will: b Q he opp sit de of. the, dead. center. Th erranee i f ewn permits. t el chdoe t re. only to'or slightly. beyond the, extreme positions, indicated. 1 r

l s best shown in Figs. 5 and, 6, thelhandles, M

and 42;, at their pivoted ends, have overlapping portions; that these o-verlapping portions are substantially channel-shaped; and that there is a l h c ea a e h wh h Permits; a S ht:

-. ovemen f one h nd e e pe i he other. It may be here stated th tthie learanc is sufficient to permit the flanges of the handle 42 to engage the inclined or. beveled me or can 5I before the handle 42. engages; and picks p the. handle. 4|. The two. handles are normally yield ingly held in positions shown. in Figs. 2 and 31 by a coiled compression spring 59 that. is seated against a knob. 6D on thecasing i8. and; presses a spring cap 6| against the back or'channel' of. thehandle 4|. I f l r Operation.

time the rivet or pin 38 willbezat theouter limit path of movement of said handle, as shown-by dotted lines in Fig. 5. 4 a 7 Under these conditions if handle 42 be pressed or pushed inward toward the door or the handle 4| pulled inward in a-direction away from the door, both handles will be oscillated and handle 4| will cause slide 39 to move therewith and the prongs 4|! of said slide acting on retracting link 34 will retract latch bolt 32 and pull the latter out of engagement with the latch plate l2, thereby unlatching the door and freeing the same for inward swinging movement. Of course, when the door is thus released, the inward swinging movement thereof will, as already indicated, be produced either by pushing on the outer handle 4| or pulling inward on the inside handle 42. In closing the door, the latch bolt 32 automatically engages the opening in the latch plate l2.

To set the lock dog 48 in operative position to thereby convert the latch bolt into a lock bolt and lock the door, it is only necessary to press on the plunger 56. When the plunger 56 is thus pressed inward, it moves the lock dog into inoperative position with its lock lug 52 in the path of movement of outside handle 4|, see Fig. 3, and this, as is obvious, will lock the outside handle so that it can not be manipulated to release the latch and open the door. However, from the inner side of the door to retract the bolt 32, it is only necessary to pull inward on the inside handle 42. Here attention must again be called to the fact that when the lock dog 48 is set in operative position as just above described, spring 59 will then be set outward slightly beyond a dead center so that it will then tend to hold said lock dog in a set or operative position. When inside handle 42 is pulled inward as just above described, the initial movement thereof will cause the flanges of said handle to engage the inclined trip lug of said lock dog and move said lock dog back to its inoperative position, shown in Fig. 4, and in which position the spring 59 will then be set outward slightly beyond its dead center so that it will then tend to hold the lock dog in its inoperative position until the lock dog has again been set. To reiterate, this slight initial movement of inside handle 42, which takes place before it picks up outside handle 4 I, is sufficient to cause retraction of the lock dog, and hence, the movement of lock lug 52 out of the path of movement of handle 4| before handle 4| is picked up by handle 42.

From the foregoing it is obvious that it is important that the inside and outside handles be individual pivoted members, the one of which is capable of at least a slight movement in respect to the other to thereby cause the lock dog to be retracted or set back to inoperative position, for reasons already indicated.

It is anticipated that sometimes a child, for example, might look itself in a bathroom by pressing on the plunger or lock actuating element 56. Hence, I have provided the small hole 41 in the slide 39 through which a nail or the like might be inserted and engaged with lock lug 52 of lock dog 48, as shown in Fig. 6, wherein by dotted lines the inside or outside handle or lever; v I a M It may benoted that the lugs 31 project to such an extent that when the retracting link 34 is forced through the :leg 28, it will'slightly expand the same and then when the said lugs pass out: of the endof Jsaidleg contraction of the leg willlprevent'thesaid lugs;3| from. being freely;-

withdrawn through the leg,..'thereby holding the link against accidental withdrawal from the leg: even before the latchboltcasing has been ap-; plied in the lock mechanism. .What.I claim is: 5 1 i1.-If1fa=.d00r latchmechanism of the kind described,.a casing insertable into a door; :a double-' ended two section handle structure extended through said casing and made up of reversely projecting sections pivotally connected to said casing for dependent and simultaneous pivotal movements, a yieldingly pressed latch bolt extended laterally from and mounted to slide in said casing, a latch bolt retracting means comprising a slide mounted on said casing and having means for operative engagement by said handle sections, and a retracting link operatively connected with said slide, said link having slide connection to said bolt permitting the latter to be normally projected and causing said bolt to be retracted when said slide is moved by said handle structure.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, in which said retracting slide is mounted at one side of said casing and directly connected to one of the handle sections for operation therewith, and said slide being indirectly connected to the other handle section through said first mentioned handle section.

3. In a door latch mechanism of the kind described, a casing insertable into a door, a doubleended two section handle structure extended through said casing and made up of reversely projecting sections pivotally connected to said casing for dependent and simultaneous pivotal movements, a yieldingly pressed latch bolt extended laterally from and mounted to slide in said casing, a latch bolt retracting means com prising a slide mounted on said casing having means for operative engagement by one of said handle sections and having a laterally projecting prong, a retracting link operatively connected with said prong, said link having slide connection to said bolt including a pin and slot permitting the latter to be normally projected and causing said bolt to be retracted when said slide is moved by said handle structure, whereby said latch bolt will normally be projected but will be retracted when said slide is moved by the cooperating handle member.

4. In a door latch mechanism of the kind described, a casing insertable into a door, a double-ended two section handle structure extended through said casing and made up of reversely projecting sections pivotally connected to said casing for dependent and simultaneous pivotal movements, a yieldingly pressed latch bolt extended laterally from and mounted to slide in said casing, a latch bolt retracting means comprising a slide mounted on said casing having means for operative engagement by one of said handle sections, and a retracting link operatively connected with said slide, said link having slide connection to said bolt permitting the latter to be normally projected and causing said bolt to a nail or the:.like is rendered operative to release thei lock dog and-permit. the door to be then opened by manipulation of either 4 be retracted when. said slide. is. moved bysaid handle structure, and'a lock dog movably mount ed in said casing to lock one of said handle. sec-g tions against suflicient movement to retract said latch bolt, said lock dog being spring biasedon its mounting from one side to'the other of a dead center to hold said dog retracted or operative ac-, cording to the position in which it ismoved'. 5. In a door latch mechanism of thekind described, a casing insertable into a door, a doll-5 ble-ended two section handle structure extended through said casing and, made up of reversely projecting sections pivotally connected to said casing for dependent. and simultaneously pivotal movements, a yie'ldingly pressed latch bolt extended laterally from and mounted to slide in said casing, a latch bolt retracting means comprising a slide mounted" on said casing having means for operative, engagement by one of said handle sections, and a. retracting link operativelysconnedted' withv said slide, said link having slide connection to said bolt, permitting the lat.- ter to be normally projected and causin said bolt to be retracted when said-slide is moved by said handlestructure, a lock dog movably mounted on said casing and arranged to, be manually set to lock one of the'handle sections against sufficient, movement to retract said lock dog, and, the other handle section havinga slight movement relative to said one handle section to operate saidvdog; to restore the'same to released position during said movement.

BERT A. QUINN. 

